Ubuntu user and Python developer Jonas Frei sent us an email with a new project he's working on that's aimed at making Ubuntu updates easier to access, and consistinify (new word, do you like it?) Update Manager's presence in the panel.
The developers behind highly anticipated open source RTS game 0 A.D. have announced another update, Alpha 6 "Fortuna" which brings with it a bunch of bug fixes, new textures, map overhauls, sounds, new unit stances, and even a flight mode as a proof of concept for the versatility engine.
Linus Torvalds has announced the release of Linux kernel 3.0 on his Google+ profile after a short delay earlier this week. So what's new? Well, not a lot really. The new release sees a few new patches and standard affair, as well as a bit of older cruft removed, but as Linus explains in his announcement to the Linux kernel mailing list in May, 3.0 won't feature a bunch of new stuff, rather it's simply a version bump to bring the kernel up to 3.0 after almost twenty years of existence. Make the jump for the full rundown.
The third maintenance update to Ubuntu 10.04.3 LTS has been released.
So the long heralded 'flood' of ARM netbooks on to the shelves barely even materialised as a drop, with a drop in demand for netbooks and massive growth spurt in touch-screen Tablet devices seemingly diverting attention elsewhere. PC company Hercules are pinning their hopes on a 'better late than never' approach with the launch of a new ARM powered netbook series dubbed the 'eCafé'.
Loads of good stuff is happening in Ubuntu these days. You can get a good idea of it when you check out the oneiric-changes mailing list. Lots of these changes have been in the making for a bit longer, so expect the ground-breaking changes to happen in the next few weeks. If you're after the big picture overview: the status overview should give you a very detailed look on how each feature is progressing. It's two weeks until Alpha 3 is going to be released and 3 weeks until Feature Freeze, when the majority of the feature work should have landed. If you have updates you want to get into Ubuntu which shake things up, you better get a move on and do it now. Read on for the weekly rundown by Daniel Holbach.
A new collaborative robotics project is ripping the idea of autonomous assistance for the disabled out from the land of science-fiction and planting it firmly in the real world - and all using the power of Open Source.
The design overhaul of the Ubuntu Software Centre many had hoped would land in Ubuntu 11.10 is seeming less likely.
Dark Toolbars and a new panel gradient are amongst the 'work in progress' changes to Ubuntu's default theme for Ubuntu 11.10.
As the momentum behind Google+ continues to gather pace its users are longing for desktop integration. To help tide us over until Google release some proper Google+ tools for developers to play with reader Tom LeJeune has added 'drag n' drop' Picasa image uploading to the Google+ Unity Quicklist we shared a few days back. If it sounds like something you'd use, here's how...
Neverputt is a 3D miniature golf game for 1-4 players. You are in the first-person hot-seat and must control the direction and velocity of the ball in order to be successful. Whether you'd like to just relax and play a little putt-putt in peace, or challenge yourself with a bizarre combination of holes, Neverputt will not disappoint. It ships with seven different courses by default, ranging from easy to insanely difficult.
Half the battle of wanting to contribute to open source is knowing where to start. I remember when I first started contributing to Ubuntu I found it difficult to discover a project to contribute to, especially since I'm not a developer. The Ubuntu community are aware of this, and as such, they've brainstormed a new event that's happening right now.